32 wrote:Even with a double OT against Denver and several OTs early on, Lee and Curry aren't even in the top 10 for MPG this year. In Nellie's final season, Ellis led the league in minutes (41.4). The year before, Jackson was #2 overall. The year before, Baron and SJax were 7 and 8 respectively. There's really no comparison between which coach blew out his stars more. Yes, Steph and Lee play a lot, but their backups (Jack and Landry) have extremely prominent roles, whereas Nellie established virtually no substitutes for Davis, Ellis, and Jackson.

And yes, you are absolutely correct, the front office increasing the level of talent makes this roster a winner by default. But I just believe that Mark Jackson establishing a pattern of substitutions for his main guns (not afraid to give them a blow even in a close game), invigorating his bench and keeping 10 or 11 guys sharp at all times, and - above all - playing each baller to his strengths, rather than a mismatch, is a recipe for greatness. Nelson might have been able to get these guys to the playoffs, you're right. But Mark Jackson has these guys ready to go deep; with home court advantage in the first round, these guys can practically punch their ticket to the semi-finals. Jackson is quite possibly the Coach of the Year. Nelson, to his credit, was past his CotY prime and I sincerely doubt he would be doing anywhere near as good a job with this team.

But that is what I call presuppositions - you asssume Nelson would be lazy and disinterested with this squad as well. Don't forget Nelson was COY three times. That Mark Jackson could become one is in no way a detriment to Nelson.I think/assume it would have been quite the opposite - the man would have loved to coach a team with real talent not some half dleague and rookies who could not play - like anthony randolph, who had his best years, sad isn't it?, under nelson in his unsatisfying carrer so far. Patrick o'Bryant, btw,is now on the second best lithuanian club team, i wonder whetehr he will manage to crack the rotation there. Also Nelson said during last tenure, that he wants the team to move the ball, he loved passers - and this year's squad is a passing squad, especially with bogut in which alows lee to play for the last 5 games in high post and create space (stretch the floor) and pass (7 assists again, again on that 'gimmicky' guard cutting play). Bogut would be loved by nelson as well, who can pass almost like Sabonis did, the greates passing big ever. And though Bogut can't shoot very well, he would have been loved for his defense - and barnes as well, since he is a good wing defender - one trait Nelson always loved for his wing players.

So, yeah, apples and oranges, nelson's last years were with terrible undermanned squad's, jackson has a very good one in his second year.I'm glad he went from walk it up offense during our first game with clippers, letting players (curry) take step in three on offense, i'm glad he started using lee a lot in high post, i'm glad he utilized 2 pf and 3 guard line-ups very well. I'm glad he went to push it up offense which rejuvenated this season, and we saw not much - 89-84 games. And he is one lucky man to have a team that can also play half-court just by having talent to spread the floor with shooters, and now having bogut in the middle (when, if, he will require double teaming) he will play lee in high post much more, since that is where lee is most effective.

someone who laughs at my jokes & reps me when repping is not needed... Any Takers???

Haha good to see Blackfoot & 32 hitting it off.

Hey just to swtich up the topic back to Don Nelson.. 32, if Nelson had this roster and was coaching today.. Would you at least give him enough credit that'd he'd be hovering at the .500 mark? I think so. I think Mark Jackson is doing a fantastic job especially with the Bogut injury early on.

someone who laughs at my jokes & reps me when repping is not needed... Any Takers???

Haha good to see Blackfoot & 32 hitting it off.

Hey just to swtich up the topic back to Don Nelson.. 32, if Nelson had this roster and was coaching today.. Would you at least give him enough credit that'd he'd be hovering at the .500 mark? I think so. I think Mark Jackson is doing a fantastic job especially with the Bogut injury early on.

I think Nellie would be hovering around .500, sure.

But I think the main difference would be the emphasis on outside shooting. For that reason, I see a Nelson-coached season ending with a 7 or 8 seeding, whereas Jackson seems primed to delivery a top 4 position, and the advantage of having home court in the playoffs cannot be overemphasized.

On offense, Nelson would have Bogut and Ezeli hovering around the top of the 3-point arc ready to launch 3's. He, Nelson, would also have Thompson playing a two-man isolation game with David Lee while the rest of the team would be on the other side of the court standing around. Harrison Barnes would be in the doghouse for some undisclosed reason. Biedrens would probably get some playing time and Nelson would help to develop his game to be similar to Uwe Blab's.

Seemingly after I posted this, the Warriors reverted back to their old Nellieball ways between January and March. An increase in 3-point attempts, a lesser offensive role for DLee (even before Bogut was back), Steph dropping 54 in a loss, Thompson and Curry getting trotted out for 40 minutes (including another ankle roll for Steph, last night, when the team should have been able to fair without him, but the bench choked), the squad went from a 4 seed down to a 6 (and possible 7 or 8 seed)... They've literally morphed into the spitting image of a Don Nelson coached team.

Wins like the Detroit, Washington, New Orleans, and Toronto games give me a lotta hope, though. If anything, those games have proven that Andrew Bogut is here to chip-shot in gimmie games. In prior years (*cough* Nellieball), the Warriors would play DOWN to their competition and surrender pivotal games to blatantly less talented teams. Bogut is here not only to combat monsters like JaVelle McGee, but also to ensure that teams lacking size or skill get properly bullied. Anybody who was disappointed because Bogut got worked by Duncan is misunderstanding his purpose: Bogut's not gonna lock up the truly elite centers - because, frankly, nobody is gonna stop Duncan or Marc Gasol - but he WILL humiliate the average 7-footer who would otherwise be a rec-league scrub if he weren't born freakishly tall. And even above-average centers have gotten poor results versus Bogut. Guys like Greg Monroe, DeMarcus Cousins, and Tyson Chandler - who use to eat the Warriors up for stat-bumping nights - are leaving games 2-for-10, 1-for-7, etc.

If the team realizes it's strength and reverts back to a system that employs Bogut/Lee on horns and high-post options, Landry and Lee in the punch formation, and keeps opponents under 95, this team will be friggin DANGEROUS. Here's hoping Nellieball dies in the final two weeks of the season. Playoff time demands it!

Seemingly after I posted this, the Warriors reverted back to their old Nellieball ways between January and March. An increase in 3-point attempts, a lesser offensive role for DLee (even before Bogut was back), Steph dropping 54 in a loss, Thompson and Curry getting trotted out for 40 minutes (including another ankle roll for Steph, last night, when the team should have been able to fair without him, but the bench choked), the squad went from a 4 seed down to a 6 (and possible 7 or 8 seed)... They've literally morphed into the spitting image of a Don Nelson coached team.

Wins like the Detroit, Washington, New Orleans, and Toronto games give me a lotta hope, though. If anything, those games have proven that Andrew Bogut is here to chip-shot in gimmie games. In prior years (*cough* Nellieball), the Warriors would play DOWN to their competition and surrender pivotal games to blatantly less talented teams. Bogut is here not only to combat monsters like JaVelle McGee, but also to ensure that teams lacking size or skill get properly bullied. Anybody who was disappointed because Bogut got worked by Duncan is misunderstanding his purpose: Bogut's not gonna lock up the truly elite centers - because, frankly, nobody is gonna stop Duncan or Marc Gasol - but he WILL humiliate the average 7-footer who would otherwise be a rec-league scrub if he weren't born freakishly tall. And even above-average centers have gotten poor results versus Bogut. Guys like Greg Monroe, DeMarcus Cousins, and Tyson Chandler - who use to eat the Warriors up for stat-bumping nights - are leaving games 2-for-10, 1-for-7, etc.

If the team realizes it's strength and reverts back to a system that employs Bogut/Lee on horns and high-post options, Landry and Lee in the punch formation, and keeps opponents under 95, this team will be friggin DANGEROUS. Here's hoping Nellieball dies in the final two weeks of the season. Playoff time demands it!

And particularly when you have screen-and-roll bigs like us (Lee/Bogut) and nuts-on outside shooters who run off screens with precision (Klay/Curry). I think a horns-centered offensive attack would be the most logical means to fully utilize our team's talent. Jackson seemed to run it frequently in the beginning of the year, but the Dubstitutes are helpless at it, so isolation has crept into the playbook for the sake of Jack and, to a lesser degree, Barnes - who seems hesitant to pull up from the outside.